REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY

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Sabbath and your health
How to observe the Sabbath and call it a delight
The Sabbath Question re-emerges

The Jewish Sabbath. This was a day that was developed by the rabbis. For years the Children of Israel had been Sabbath breakers, carrying on their trades and ignoring the Sabbath of God. They had been taken into captivity for the worship of idols instead of worshipping the true God. When they returned from Captivity, the Rabbis, their religious leaders and teachers regulated how the Sabbath should be kept. By doing this, they hoped to safeguard the Sabbath from being broken again. These rules were very direct and related to the minutiae of life. You could not pick up a handkerchief that had dropped to the floor. You could not carry a handkerchief; it had to be pinned on your body instead. You could not carry a basket of food, as it was a ‘burden.’ We may smile at these things, but they began with the best of intentions. This however was not God’s Sabbath but the Jewish Sabbath. It was a day of legalistic requirements. When Jesus came he tried to show how the Sabbath can be a day of delight, a day for healing the sick and doing good and worshipping in the synagogue as His custom was. The Sabbath is to be a pleasure not a burden..

The Christian Sabbath. This is often the name given to the Sunday Sabbath kept today by the majority of Christians. It was supposed to have been started by the apostles. In the New Testament we have only one Sunday service mentioned. That does not make it a custom. Jesus went into the Synagogue every Sabbath - as his custom was. There are over 80 references to the keeping holy of the seventh day Sabbath in the New Testament. This is an on going custom with the apostles. They did not institute Sunday worship in honour of the resurrection. The so-called Christian Sabbath is also the Roman Sabbath as this is one of the towns where it started and later became a regular practice. It was an overtly anti-Semitic practice with motives of politics and convenience. Sunday continues today but it is not a good practice for a God fearing Christian who loves all peoples. If recognised at all the Christian Sabbath is often only one hour on a Sunday, with the remainder of the day being a holiday of newspapers, gardening or other domestic activities. God is very little considered on the Christian Sunday Sabbath.